The Twenty-Second Letter

The Twenty-Second Letter

The issues never end… This past Wednesday, May 24, 2023, I went to visit my son.  He was very despondent. The phone had not been working since Saturday, May 20, 2023, as something had happened with his PIN which was possibly changed by someone. The phone is a lifeline for him as talking with my…

The Twenty-First Letter

The Twenty-First Letter

May 11, 2023 The Twenty-First Letter… This is part two of yesterday’s letter. I went to visit Redacted last night and literally got into my car and started taking notes on his condition and what he told me. I now have the second part of the Friday, two weeks ago, beating that he took from…

The Twentieth Letter

The Twentieth Letter

There are several pressing issues that I want to address, the last being the most important.   1.  Today I received a call from my son and, once again, for the third time, the issue of toilet paper is rearing its ugly head. He ran out today and asked for more toilet paper and the response…

The Nineteenth Letter

The Nineteenth Letter

It is hard to understand… How someone who had suicidal ideations on February 28, 2023…while at South Woods Prison… Has requested to see the mental health team at The New Jersey State Prison…several times since then… And there has been no response. How is this possible? When an inmate submits a request for the mental…

The Eighteenth Letter

The Eighteenth Letter

Redacted was moved from South Woods Prison to the New Jersey State Prison on Friday, March 3, 2022.  This was a pretty hard week for him as he had such an emotionally traumatic experience leading up to his departure.  Being bitten and attacked by his cellmate, for instance, and then staying in the medical clinic…

The Seventeenth Letter

The Seventeenth Letter

A Very Disturbing Phone Call Tonight I received a call from my son, Redacted, Redacted, who is currently housed in the medical clinic area.  He was literally having a mental breakdown on the phone. He told me that he couldn’t eat, that he couldn’t deal with the pain, that he wanted to die, and he…

The Sixteenth Letter

The Sixteenth Letter

Good Afternoon, Today I received a phone call from a social worker and then Redacted who is located in the ECU (Emergency Care Unit) as of the last few days.  Redacted told me that he was bitten by his roommate, that this guy threw a book at his face that knocked out the bridge in…

The Fourteenth Letter

The Fourteenth Letter

This just can’t wait… And I know it’s New Year’s Eve… BUT, I cannot stand by and say and do nothing while the DOC is allowing human rights abuse to take place in a prison in the state where I have grown up and lived most of my life. This evening my son called me…

The Thirteenth Letter

The Thirteenth Letter

I took some time… To see what would happen… Looking for the  follow through… I have been listening to Redacted, watching to see what happens, and waiting for follow up in several areas of concern since my last email dated November 29, 2022. According to Redacted, there is still swelling in his calves along with…

The Twelfth Letter

The Twelfth Letter

MAJOR correction from my last letter… I just spoke with Redacted, who received some of his medical records, but not all.  He read Dr. Rahimi’s, (vascular surgeon) notes to me, which included a diagnosis of claudication (cms/hcc), Diagnosis Code: 173.9.  He wrote that the pain seems neuropathic and recommended compression stockings and follow up with…

The Eleventh Letter

The Eleventh Letter

What is next? Thankfully, Redacted was seen by his vascular surgeon, Dr. Saum Rahimi,  November 22, 2022.  According to Redacted, Dr. Rahimi ruled out vascular issues as to why his calves are so swollen and painful. Redacted mentioned that Dr. Rahimi suggested compression stockings and gabapentin for the pain. To date, there has been no…

The Tenth Letter

The Tenth Letter

Update… Today I spoke with my son, Redacted, Redacted, after he had a visit this morning from Mr. Thomas, who I believe is an advocate/employee of Rutgers University Correctional Health and Dr. Sherita Latimore-Collier, who practices internal medicine at South Woods Prison. He was seen at the medical clinic at South Woods Prison.  Several issues…

The Ninth Letter

The Ninth Letter

Redacted was brought to the medical clinic yesterday and the doctor did not show up…and the burning pain in his legs never abates… For those that are new to this email thread, please understand that I have been writing letters since October 10, (attached in this email), to advocate for my son, Redacted, who has…

The Eighth Letter

Another week gone by for Redacted…  With no answers and still in pain, my son remains in South Woods Prison, with no access to his medical records, which he requested in writing approximately two weeks ago and no results from his blood work, which was drawn over two weeks ago, and no diagnosis to explain…

The Seventh Letter

Update Regarding the Health of My Son Who Is Incarcerated at South Woods Prison, For those that are new to this email thread, I am the mother of Redacted, Redacted, who is incarcerated at South Woods Prison in Bridgeton, NJ.  I grew up in Little Silver, NJ, where my mother still resides. I lived in…

The Sixth Letter

To Continue, I received a call from Christina Kadelsky and Christina Prestien-Lapenta Friday, October 28, 2022. Thank you for the call. We could not have a comprehensive conversation regarding Redacted’s medical issues as they were not aware and did not have a copy of the Medical Release of Information that he signed while in the…

The Fifth Letter

As an addendum to the previous email… Have you involved a vascular surgeon in this case?  And if not, why?  With Redacted’s history and now both legs swollen and in pain, it doesn’t look to be an infection.  Is there something going on that you have not told Redacted, as he is not aware of…

The Fourth Letter

Good Afternoon, My concerns for Redacted medical care have not abated.  To the contrary, I just spoke with my son, who just got back to his cell from EMC today before lunch, as he called for help on Sunday night as he could not feel his feet.  They were numb.  Redacted signed the medical release…

The Third Letter

To All Concerned: As a followup to yesterday’s email: I just spoke with redacted and he had a doppler ultrasound this morning after breakfast.  He did not see any doctor. There was no one to address his pain as the doctor was not present. He is mentally and emotionally, besides physically, traumatized by the thought that…

The Second letter

The Second letter

Good Afternoon, Included in your mission statement is this amazing sentence, “We are committed to being leaders in the delivery of effective, compassionate and accessible care within correctional environments.” This sounds incredible, as though the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the University Correctional Health Care entities have evolved to provide a humane system of…